Breathing Slowly
by OtterPop23
Summary: Bella kicked and squirmed, digging her nails into his arm, not wanting to become his next victim. 'This is it,' she thought. 'I'm going to die.' All Human.
1. In The Shadows

**Chapter 1: In The Shadows**

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**Edward's POV**

"Thank you," I grinned warmly at the old lady. She smiled and studied the vase she had just bought as I securely wound bubble wrap around it.

"No thank _you, _young man," she insisted, laying her hands on the vase. She seemed to try to lift it but only exhaled in surprise. "Oh, my. It's heavier than it looks," she chuckled.

"Would you like some help?" I offered.

Again, she smiled. "What a gentlemen."

I lifted it with ease—guessing it wasn't any more than 15 pounds.

She held the door open for me and I followed her to an old 1992 Chevrolet Lumina Minivan parked right in front of the old pawn shop and laid the vase on the seat.

After the lady drove off, I turned, planning on closing up for Mr. Davis and then heading home.

But I was stopped as I heard clicking heels on the sidewalk. A girl who I guess was in her early twenties was walking down the street with a cell phone pressed to her ear. She seemed to be arguing with whoever was on the other line. A slow smile crept up to my lips.

She had straight, long, mahogany locks that framed her heart-shaped face. Her hair waved gently as she strode down the sidewalk with an attractive sway to her walk—I would bet she didn't even notice she was doing it.

She hung up the phone and stopped at the alley by Mr. Davis's pawn shop and Mrs. Simmons's jewelry store, studying it. But she wouldn't actually _go _down there—at nighttime?

As if answering my question, she turned.

Immediately, I worried about the girl. She looked so innocent, so fragile, not the type that could defend herself . . . I glanced at the shop and back to the alley.

_Just turn around, Edward_, I told myself. _Let it go. _

But when I couldn't see her anymore, my heart felt tight. How could I forgive myself if something happened to her that I could've stopped? Well, I could at least make sure she made it to her car okay . . . right?

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**Bella's POV**

"Alice, I don't _want_ a party this year," I argued, desperately trying to make a point.

"_Bella_," she whined, stretching out my name like she always did when she was trying to have her way. "You only turn 22 once!"

I shook my head even though she couldn't see it. "You said that last year, and the year before that too!" Come to think of it, she's said that for every single one of my birthdays ever since we'd first met and became best friends at Forks High School. Old habits die hard, I suppose.

"Because it's _true_!" she wailed, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Oh, no.

"Fine," I sighed in defeat. "Throw your party."

I heard squealing. "Oh, _thank-you-thank-you-thank-you_, Bella! I promise— won't regret—" I looked down to my cell phone, realizing I was losing service.

"Alice?" I said into the phone and waited. I shut the phone then and shoved it in my pocket.

I came up to a dark alley in the form of a T and paused. I knew it would lead me directly to the parking lot where my rusty truck waited. I frequently went down this alley as a short cut to the library where I worked that only a few blocks away, so I wouldn't make myself late. But at nighttime the alley seemed so intimidating.

Feeling ridiculous for being so scared, I turned to walk down the right side of the T shaped alley.

A cloud drifted across the moon, making it slightly darker than it already was.

Panic slowly seeped through my veins and my breathing started to lean towards hyperventilation as I turned the corner so I was now going down the long part of the T. Why did it have to be so dark?

The urge to look behind me as if to see if someone was following me was too strong to ignore. I paused, and slowly, my head turned . . . but I saw no one there. I smiled at myself and rolled my eyes at how paranoid I was being.

I began walking again and looked down at my wristwatch. 10:36. Alice and I had sort of started this tradition where we always watch our favorite show every night ever since we had both moved to Seattle and moved in together after high school. It started at 10:30 and she was bound to be angry with me since I was already late.

When I looked back up I could see the parking lot in the distance. Again, I grinned, realizing I was acting like and idiot earlier, worrying so much about nothing.

But the grin instantly faded when thought I heard foot steps behind me. I tried to ignore the sound and swallowed hard, a lump in my throat.

A rock rolled. I gasped and whirled around, knowing I couldn't imagine that. "Hello?" I called, my voice shaking.

No reply.

I quickly turned and started to jog to my car, wanting to lock myself inside and drive away as fast as my truck would allow.

I was close to the middle of the parking lot when, being as graceful as I ever am, I tripped and narrowly avoided falling flat on my face—but I did manage to snap the heel of the shoe Alice had forced me to wear.

I stopped to take both of my shoes off and stuff them in my bag.

Right as I unzipped it though, something lightly touched my neck, making me shudder and drop it.

I felt someone's cool breath on my cheek as he pushed his body up against mine, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Don't scream," he whispered.

The shriek that came out of my mouth startled me at how loud it was. But it sent him staggering back a couple steps, covering his ears.

I recognized the man's pale face and blonde hair from a wanted picture on the news—he was a serial murderer. He was considered extremely dangerous and his main target was always young women. James . . .

Of course, I realized all of this in a split second. I began running again but his strong arms grabbed me and hoisted me off of the ground. I kicked and squirmed, digging my nails into his arm, not wanting to become his next victim.

Blinded my tears, I couldn't make out who or what was running straight for me and the monster trying to take me away.

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**DUN-DUN-DUN!!**

**REVIEW if you like it and I'll post the next chapter. ;D**

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	2. The Brightest Green

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**Previously:**

_I kicked and squirmed, digging my nails into his arm, not wanting to become his next victim._

_Blinded my tears, I couldn't make out who or what was running straight for me and the monster trying to take me away._

**Chapter 2: The Brightest Green**

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**Bella's POV**

_This is it,_ I thought_. I'm going to die._

Before I could lose all hope and give up in defeat, another body slammed into James, causing him to lose his footing and fall, throwing me forcefully to the ground in the same instant.

I hit the pavement hard and rolled a little with momentum. My head slowly spun but I pushed myself up into a sitting position, determined to see what was going on.

My vision was blurry at first but cleared as I focused on another man on top of my attacker. But the stances quickly changed as James rolled over and pinned the man to the ground. James lifted the man by his shoulders a few inches only to slam his body back to the ground rather forcefully. The man's head seemed to bounce on the pavement from the impact. James raised his hand in the air, forming a fist and flung it back down, punching the man repeatedly. His head lolled to the side and he went limp.

My throat felt as if it was on fire—only then did I realize I was screaming at him to stop. And to my relief and sudden horror, James did stop, but he also stormed over to me and covered my mouth with one hand and placed another behind my head and shook me roughly.

My hands pounded against his arm, but not nearly hard enough to get him to stop. In the corner of my eye, I saw the man slowly rising.

James dropped me in a crumpled heap and turned to follow my gaze. He chuckled darkly. "Aren't we feeling rather heroic today?"

The man tried to steady himself but his legs seemed shaky, weak. James pulled his fist back and I jerked my head in the other direction quickly, cringing.

The man coughed and gasped, as if he'd had the breath knocked out of him.

I prayed someone heard my scream, remembering I had no service down here. I glanced over to my bag, just a few feet away. Weakly, I crawled over to it and grabbed the heel of the shoe I'd broken.

"Where do you think you're going?" James asked, too civilly. I gasped and gripped my weapon tighter as I looked up to him.

He sauntered over to me slowly. My heart broke out into a sprint and my breathing hitched. Unconsciously, I crawled backwards—spiky stiletto heel still in hand—distancing myself from him.

James smiled lightly at my feeble attempt to get away. Suddenly he lunged at me, making me scream again. He grabbed my left hand and pinned it to the ground and reached for my right to do the same thing.

I hid my arm behind my back, trying to keep the heel away from him. He grunted in frustration and slapped my face, making my head snap away from the blow. I cried out in pain and disbelief. Tears forming in my eyes, I looked up to his pleased expression. He enjoyed my pain.

My lips trembled, a sob threatening to escape. Taking in a sharp breath of air, I grunted and brought the heel above me, then back down as hard as I could into his upper arm. The heel didn't break the skin, but I managed to take him by surprise. But that surprise was quickly replaced with anger. I tried to repeat the action, but as I lifted my arm up, he grabbed my wrist and twisted. My hand was forced to release my weapon and I cried out in pain again.

Long, pale fingers tightly grabbed James by the shirt and yanked him back, off of me, and threw him to the ground. The man turned slightly and began to face me.

Sirens echoed through the parking lot, and James quickly swung his leg around, knocking the man off of his feet.

James threw a glance in my direction, his eyes piercing. I cringed, but he had already jumped up on his feet and was running down the alley I'd come out of.

Finally, the cop car flew over the curb and stopped a good ten yards away from where we were.

The driver's door swung open and the cop stumbled out, his eyes were bright and wild with excitement. He looked maybe twenty-six, surely new at the job.

"Is everything alright ma'am? Someone called in saying they saw someone from the news walking down the street, heading in this direction. I was driving by, checking it out, and I head a scream—" he cut off there, noticing my shudder. I pointedly looked in the direction James had gone, and he bobbed his head roughly.

"I'm going to go to my car to call for backup and an ambulance—I'm not leaving," he promised, stepping back slowly, eying me. "Okay?"

I blinked a few times then nodded slowly. The cop then turned and ran back to his car, nearly diving into the driver's seat to get to his walkie-talkie.

My hero groaned beside me and I turned to him hastily. He lifted his cut and bloodied hand to shield his eyes from the police car's headlights.

I crawled over to where he laid and sat with my legs under me and my back to the car, blocking the headlights for him. Hesitantly, I raised my hand and brushed his reddish brown hair back from his face. His eyes were closed and he seemed relaxed at my touch.

Gently, I laid my hand on the side of his face. He leaned into it, exhaling deeply. A tear slid down my cheek right as a rain drop fell on my arm. I gently ran my fingers down the side of his face, sniffing back tears. He could've _died _trying to save me.

"It's okay," he whispered hoarsely, trying to calm me as if he'd read my mind.

I laughed once, not failing to notice how even though his voice was strained, it still sounded more amazing than any voice I'd ever heard. My body shook slightly like I was going to break out in sobs. "Aren't I the one who's supposed to be saying that?" I asked quietly, my voice cracking a little.

The corner of his mouth pulled up slightly at my words. His eyes were open now, and they were a stunning emerald green. They almost seemed to be glowing, even in the dim lighting. They were hard to look away from, regardless of how beautiful his abused face was.

I glanced down to my lap, feeling self conscious when I realized he was studying my face like I was his.

Lightning flashed, and the thunder cracked half a minute later as the rain picked up slightly.

"What is your name?" he asked abruptly, but still politely.

I shook my head slightly, finally looking back to him. "Umm . . . Isabella Swan." I blinked twice. "I go by Bella though."

His eyebrows pulled together slightly as he strained to lift himself up onto his elbows and stretched a hand out to me that he wasn't using to hold himself up. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Swan. My name is Edward Mason."

I smiled slowly and took his hand. "Hi."

Still holding onto my hand, he tried to lie back down.

"Wait," I said, scooting closer to him. He eyed me as I shifted so my legs were under him and gently laid his head on my lap. He smiled a little and closed his eyes again.

Idly, I ran my fingers through his thick hair as we waited for the ambulance, the rain now pouring all around us.

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**SUPER sorry this chapter took so long to get up!**

**Review if you want more and I'll try to be better, promise! :) **

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	3. Pressure

**Chapter 3: Pressure**

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**Bella's POV**

"Edward Masen," I mumbled, tapping my fingers against the front desk impatiently. I took a deep intake of air and it shook, showing I was still fairly spooked from the event that had taken place no more than an hour before. I had spent forty-five minutes after the attack filling out police reports; they wouldn't even let me ride in the ambulance with Edward.

The woman behind the desk eyed me briefly, taking in my appearance. I glanced down to my hands, thoughtlessly twirling the small ring on my third finger—a habit I'd picked up whenever I was nervous. She followed my gaze, her face suddenly growing sympathetic.

Her fingers briskly punched several keys and I didn't bother to correct her notion that I was engaged to Edward. I briefly thought of calling my real fiancé—at least let him know I was at the hospital and I was okay.

The lady turned back to me. "He's in room 104," she said, pointing me in the right direction, even though I didn't need it—I'd had my fair share of trips to the hospital to know where everything was.

I nodded hastily and said a quick "thank you" before jogging down the hall, scanning all the numbers.

Pausing at 104, I looked through the window in the door, checking to see if he was with a nurse or a doctor. He was asleep in the bed, connected to a variety tubes and wires. As I reached for the door handle, a hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

A beyond beautiful blue-eyed blonde in light pink scrubs stood there, glaring at me. "Miss, I'm afraid only family can see Mr. Masen at this time."

"Please, he's my fiancé," I lied, hoping it was believable. I was surprised myself at the desperation in my tone.

Her eyes softened, even though the scowl remained unfazed. She released my wrist and took a step back, probably only halfway believing my lie. Nervously, I opened the door, the blinds on the other side banging lightly against the window.

Edward rolled his head over to the door, woken by the noise. "Bella?" he mumbled, still half asleep.

He lifted his head and tried to sit up, but I hurried over to his side and gently pushed his shoulder down, trying to get him to lie back down. "I'm here," I murmured, resisting the urge to lay my hand on the side of his face like I had earlier that night.

"You came," he whispered.

"Yes, I came," I nodded slowly.

The nurse at the door cleared her throat quietly, making me jump nervously. "Mr. Masen, we've called Mr. McCarty, he said he'd be a while because of the storm but he's on his way."

Edward looked over to the nurse for a split second to nod, but then looked back to me saying, "Yes, thank you."

The only sound was the gentle click of the door as it was shut.

"You came," he whispered again after a few moments of silence, amazed. "I follow you down a dark alley and watched you get attacked, and you still come to visit me when I end up in the hospital." He shook his head slowly, as if it just didn't add up in his mind.

I smiled lightly. "Of course I came, you saved my life—and made it out alive even," I added, trying to lighten the mood. "Well," I then said, looking him up and down, as if examining the damage. "Sort of."

He snickered and shook his head, making me grin.

I shifted my weight from foot to foot, slightly nervous under his far-away gaze. "Mr. McCarty?" I finally asked, after another second of silence.

His eyes refocused on me, as if his thoughts were miles away, only brought back when I began talking. "Yeah, Emmett McCarty. He's my best friend from grade school. He's been living with me the past two months until he finds his own place."

I nodded mutely and suddenly thought of my own best friend. I gasped and quickly rummaged through my handbag, pulling out my cell phone I'd tossed in there earlier when I was being questioned by the young police officer. I flipped it open and saw I had over a dozen missed calls from Alice. My face crumpled, knowing she must be near hysterics by now.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

"I'm not sure yet," I murmured, shaking my head slightly. "I have to call my roommate, if you don't mind," I said, almost as a question.

He grinned lightly and motioned with his hand for me to proceed.

I pushed Alice's speed dial and before even the first ring stopped, she picked up. "_Bella_?! Ommigod, _please_ be you," she sobbed, hardly coherent.

"Yes, Alice, it's me—" I'd barely managed to get the sentence out before she began speaking again, this time so rapidly, her words all mashed into one, followed by even more sobs. "Alice," I began again, "calm down, you're making yourself sick. Just breathe for a second."

She took several ragged, broken breaths before she spoke again. "W-what ha-happened? Why didn't—... why— you didn't call m-me ba-back." She sniffed and took another deep breath.

Tears welled up in my eyes, feeling the raw emotion in her words. "Alice, I'm so sorry, but everything is okay now. I'm at the hospital—"

"You-you're in the h-hospital?!" she bellowed.

"Yes, but I'm fine," I said quickly. "It's a long story, but I'm not the one hurt," I said, glancing at Edward, who was watching my every move with extreme interest and worry. I gave him a weak smile.

I heard movement in the background, like she was pacing. "I'm coming d-down right now, okay?" she said, shuffling with what I assumed was a jacket or a pair of shoes.

"No, no, Ali, it's nearly midnight and I don't want you driving across town in this storm," I argued, glancing over to the window. The rain was so heavy; anything outside of it was just a blur.

She sniffed, debating with herself. I bit my lip, hoping she'd agree with me. "I'll be absolutely fine here," I went on. "A hospital's probably the safest place for me anyway," I joked, causing her to laugh with a little bit of humor. I smiled.

"Well..." she trailed off, unsure. "Okay, I guess. But no matter what the weather is, _I am_ going to the hospital in the morning."

"That'll be fine," I allowed. "Goodnight, Alice."

"'Night, Bell."

We held the phone for a few moments more and listened to nothing for a good measure before we simultaneously hung up. I sighed deeply.

"You wouldn't mind staying here too much, would you?" Edward asked, making my head snap over to him. I'd forgotten he'd been lying there through the whole phone call. "I mean," he clarified, "James is still out there, and I don't think I'm comfortable with you anywhere else but here, where I can protect you."

My eyes flickered across his face and from eye to eye, searching for some sign that he was joking. My heart swelled in my chest, like it was being filled with so much compassion that it was about to burst from the pressure. How could someone that hardly knew me, someone that had nearly been beaten to death trying to save me, care so much?

I nodded, smiling despite all that had happened tonight. "I wouldn't rather be anywhere else," I said before I thought about how cheesy it actually sounded.

Edward grinned as well and finally closed those extraordinary eyes. His fingers loosely gripped my right hand with the tiniest amount of pressure as he sighed, finally beginning to relax.

The corners of my mouth twitched, fighting a smile. Not pulling my hand away from his, I moved from the corner of his bed to the arm rest of a rusty-colored recliner next to the right side of the bed.

I watched his chest until his breaths were slow and even. I leaned forward slightly, resting my left arm on the bedrail and my chin on my arm, tilting my head as I watched his tranquil appearance with admiration.

Abruptly, the hospital door swung open wildly, banging against the doorstop loudly. I jumped nearly ten feet in the air and yanked my hand out of Edward's loose grip, holding back a scream as I stumbled backwards and nearly fell over the chair I'd been perched on.

In my mind, I'd saw James lurking at the door, his hands clenched up in angry fists. A slow smile spread across his face as he approached the hospital bed. I shook my head fiercely and blinked back hot tears. _This can't be happening!_

I looked again and instead of James's dark figure, I saw a huge, well-built man, soaked so badly from head to toe that he was dripping on the linoleum. He had dark curly hair and seemed to be in his mid-twenties. His eyes immediately flashed to the bed and Edward lying in it.

With just three big strides, he was across the room and at the foot of the hospital bed.

My heart hammered away and my chest heaved from the ragged, uneven breaths I was gulping down, trying to calm myself.

"Bella?" Edward called, ignoring the hulking man hovering over him for the moment. Without any sign of hesitation, he reached out and wrapped his long, slender fingers around my hand again.

My eyes flickered from our entwined hands to his face. My heart jumped again as his eyes studied me. The tension in my body slowly lessoned and I gradually sat back down on the arm of the recliner again, never letting my eyes leave the huge man.

Edward gently squeezed my fingers, but I didn't dare look at him and away from the man.

The man's eyes trailed from Edward, down his arm, to his hand connected to mine, and up my arm until he finally let his eyes rest on my face. I pressed my back into the chair, eying him. He raised an eyebrow questioningly and glanced back to Edward, muttering, "The hell is she?"

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**Don't hate me for forever; I had the hardest time getting this chapter to be juuust right… This was actually originally done in Eddie's POV, but to put it lightly…It sucked. Haha….yeah.**

**REVIEW… please? **


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